Outlander Book Club: An Echo in the Bone Chapter 32 breakdown

Just the Outlander chapter

The chapter begins with John writing a letter to Hal and Norrington. There’s a mention of names that have all come up at some point throughout the book so far. While some of these names are fictional, others are real from history, and I continue to love how Diana Gabaldon combines everything.

John seems to be getting closer to deciphering all of Percy’s connections. Beaumarchais would usually see John, but he refused to see John on this occasion. What does that mean? Is there a connection? John certainly thinks so.

In the letter to Hal, John writes about where Percy is staying. It’s at the Trois Flèches, which translates to “three arrows.” Who are the three arrows for? Who could be the three arrows? Is this connected to Percy and Beauchamp? What about Fergus?

John does write that he is suspicious of Richardson and Denys Randall-Isaacs. This isn’t surprising considering we have our own suspicions. In fact, William also has his own suspicions. Hal has his own name drops and suspicions. They are Germain, Burgoyne, Carleton, and Howe. Those names have come up for us, too. Something in Hal’s letter though makes it clear that nobody really knows much of Richardson. Was he better than Howe?

All of this leads to John thinking of his mortality. It all starts with him thinking of Harry Quarry and Hal’s mortalities, two men John once thought of as immortal. Then John thinks of his own aging. He feels it in twinges in his knees or a stiffening of his thumb. It’s interesting that these thoughts come now.

John starts to worry that he won’t be around for William in the future. What happens when John dies? What will William do?